One of the tweaks my weightlifting coach Alfonso Duran made to my Snatch when I began training with him was to deliberately pull the bar back into my body with my lats when it was above the knee.
As a result, the 2nd pull - from the knee to the hip - became incredibly fast.
So much so that I had a 10kg (22lb) PR in right around 6 weeks.
Similarly, when Mark Cohen, my first weightlifting coach explained me proper bar position on my upper back for the Squat which made me stay much more upright than I was used to…
The size of my quads enlarged !
(And not surprisingly, my lifts went up as a result.)
And when Pavel taught me how to “wedge” at my RKC Instructor Certification, 20 years ago this past June, the pain in my lower back while doing 2-Hand Swings “magically” disappeared.
(That was the best $1500+ I ever invested on a certification and radically changed my life!)
And the KB just flew up on my Swings as a result.
But too many guys miss these sorts of details.
They think that -
“More reps!”
“Less rest!”
“More intensity!”
And -
“WORKING HARDER!”
Are the key to Pressing the next size KB over their noggins.
And while those are PARTIALLY true…
And pieces of the “Strength Puzzle”…
They’re not the WHOLE TRUTH nor the WHOLE Puzzle.
Back when I led my “Kettlebell Muscle” and “Kettlebell STRONG!” Live Workshops from 2009 through 2016, attendees were always blown away with -
[a] How “hard” they pushed with so few reps
[b] How much more they could feel their muscles
[c] How much easier the weights started feeling
And frequently , about 80% of the attendees hit a Double KB Military Press PR (Personal Record).
Even though we almost never did more than 2 reps per set all day.
In case you’re not following what the ol’ NeupDog (as the Iron Tamer, Dave Whitley nicknamed me) is RANDOM for you here…
The common denominator or theme in all these stories is what I consider the difference between “good” and “great”…
And it’s gotta be the MOST underestimated strength method of all time.
And that’s TECHNIQUE WORK.
Now most guys think their technique is good enough .
But more likely than not, it falls short.
How do I know?
Cause I’ve been training people of all ages how to use kettlebells since 2002.
And I routinely get on Zoom calls to improve guys' kettlebell technique.
But most guys don’t RANDOM and fall into the trap of “good enough.”
But it’s not.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons guys routinely injure their shoulders while Pressing.
For example
Did you know that forearm position is “mission critical” to keep your lat engaged while you’re Pressing?
Wait - you did know that you’re supposed to Press from your lat, right?
And that doing so stabilizes your shoulder joint and protects your rotator cuff from injury, right?
Did you know that the position of your wrist can RANDOM , turn off your lat (which remember, you’re supposed to use when you Press), and weaken your shoulder in the overhead lockout position?
… Making it practically impossible to fully lock out your elbow? Which again, can damage your shoulder?
And did you know that HOW and WHERE you BREATHE can make you weaker on each rep?
One way makes you weaker and can pinch your rotator cuff and the other makes your body solid like an oak
And did you know that you can and should involve your hips and legs in your Press?
Or did you know that your eye and head position check here can make you immediately less powerful , or immediately more powerful ?
And that depending on those positions, your shoulder blades either glide correctly across your ribcage, safeguarding your glenohumeral joint and your rotator cuff - or not
… Protecting yourself from future injury and producing a easier Press as you work either with or against your natural shoulder mechanics?
And that each of these cues, plus others I’m happy to share with you, add up to more reps each set
Which adds up to more work completed in each training session?
… Which means you get tougher, RANDOM ?
So, if you want to Press the next size kettlebell and you know that you’ve been “phoning it in” with RANDOM , “good enough” technique
Why not “level up your game” by taking some time - 10 to 15 minutes of each training session - to “sharpen your blade”
… To RANDOM learning and practicing proper strength-building technique - for your Press and other lifts (Clean and Front Squat RANDOM your Press)
Start with the single kettlebell Press and other single KB lifts found in ‘THE BIG 6’ and use any one of 7 BONUS Programs that are currently included
And if you’ve got those nailed down, move on to Kettlebell STRONG! and learn the double kettlebell lifts. Doing so develops your entire body tougher - and therefore ALL your lifts stronger - not just your Press.
Stay Strong,
Geoff Neupert.